1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to boots for horses and, in particular, to an adjustable buckle to provide a variable degree of tension on the boot's shell to conform to different sizes of hooves.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Horse boots are used to protect the hooves and fetlocks of horses and are sometimes used in lieu of horseshoes. A horse boot typically includes a sole with opposed flat, top and bottom, major surfaces and an upper that projects upward from the top surface and forms an enclosure for the hoof and a portion of the fetlock of the horse. The upper typically extends along the rim of the sole, has a bottom edge secured to the sole, and includes a flexible front tongue that can be extended forward to facilitate placement of the hoof into the boot. A portion of the top edge of the upper is remote from the sole and is sometime connected to a cuff that can be tightened around the hoof and pastern of the horse.
The tongue in the upper and the cuff (if present) are spread open in order to put the boot on the hoof of the horse. After spreading the upper and the cuff, the boot is slid over the hoof and the cuff is tightened around the pastern to secure the boot in place. While several means of tightening have been used in the art, such as laces and straps, one common mechanism consists of a cable attached to the two top-front sides of the upper and connected to a buckle mounted on the tongue. As the buckle is pivoted closed, it pulls on the cable and thereby tightens both front ends of the upper around the hoof.
A problem common to most tightening devices is the fixed tension provided thereby, or the small-range degree of adjustment available in relation to the variation in the size and shape of horses' hooves. Even among horses wearing the same size boot (which is determined by the size of the footprint of the hoof), the shape of the hoof's top portion varies from horse to horse, requiring different degrees of tension in order to secure the boot on the hoof. A rotary cable tensioner used in the art (known under the registered trademark BOA) is available to provide a relatively large range of tension applied to the upper of the boot, but it is complex in construction and relatively expensive. Therefore, a buckle arrangement that is simpler and cheaper to manufacture would be preferable.
Most existing boot buckles operate by pulling the cable as the buckle lever is closed forward and downward. This configuration is prone to accidental opening of the buckle while the horse is moving because any obstacle brushed against during the downward motion of the hoof is likely to release the buckle. This is another problem associated with conventional horse boot buckles. This invention is directed at providing a solution to both these problems. Specifically, the invention is directed at providing a horse boot buckle with a wide range of tension adjustment and greater stability during use.